The "Waffle House Index," or test, is a term coined by former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate in 2004 to determine a disaster's impact based on how the recovery is going.

South Carolina's Post and Courier, in the meantime, gave the index a prophetic aspect in its "what you need to know" guide ahead of Florence's expected landfall.

"If the Coburg Cow is taken down and Waffle House locks its doors as a hurricane looms, people say things are 'about to get real,' " said the guide. "Well, the cow came down Monday. But Waffle House was still cranking out hash browns."

"If the Waffle House is open, everything's good," Fugate said on the episode.

"They are open most of the time. And that was the index. If a Waffle House is closed because there's a disaster, it's bad. We call it red. If they're open but have a limited menu, that's yellow…" he continued. "If they're green, we're good, keep going. You haven't found the bad stuff yet."

The "index" isn't intended to make light of a disaster's potential effects, but ahead of Florence, the 24-hour restaurant was generating light-hearted buzz on social media.

"I'm waiting on Waffle House's official statement on this hurricane. it's not serious unless they close," wrote one Twitter user. "Is Waffle House closed yet? I need to know if I should panic yet," said another.

I’m waiting on Waffle House’s official statement on this hurricane. it’s not serious unless they close

Waffle House responded to messages, remarking that safety is its "No. 1 concern" and clarifying that the company looks to "local and state governments for guidance on evacuations." Waffle House also shared a photo from its corporate offices in Norcross, Ga., with a caption that said, "The ⁦@WaffleHouse⁩ Storm Center is activated and monitoring #Florence. Plan ahead and be safe."

"The index itself isn't just about whether or not you can get pralines on your waffles or if you can get waffles at all, but rather about the damage in a neighborhood," FEMA wrote on its blog in 2017. "If a Waffle House can serve a full menu, they've likely got power (or are running on a generator). A limited menu means an area may not have running water or electricity, but there's gas for the stove to make bacon, eggs, and coffee: exactly what hungry, weary people need."

"It kind of goes back to our culture," he told the publication. "The faster we can get open, the faster the community can get back to normal. Our people need to get back to work, and our customers need a place to eat."